Alexis & Matthew's Dream Wedding at Island Resort Athens Riviera: Romance, Tarot, and The City of the Gods

Love Story

Alexis and Matthew were both done with dating apps. Genuinely done — profiles deleted, peace made with the whole thing. Then Hinge brought them back together regardless. "After deleting our Hinge profiles for a few months, worn out by the NYC dating scene, the inevitable happened: we matched," Alexis says. "Matt insists we matched before and I ignored him — which honestly could be true — but I don't recall lol."

Their first date at Temple Bar on November 29, 2022 started off a little awkward, as first dates in New York tend to. Then Matt spotted an Airbnb ad for Greece that read "Welcome to the Fetaverse" and pointed it out to Alexis, claiming it had been made specifically for her. "Points scored," she laughs.

The weeks that followed confirmed what that first evening had hinted at. By date seven, Matt said what he was thinking out loud: "I don't want to get too deep too fast, but I think this is it for me." It was.

The proposal, when it came, was quintessentially them. Matthew had reserved a private terrace at Fouquet's New York City — one of their favourite hotels in the world — and covered it in photographs. Every adventure they had taken together, every corner of the world they had explored, printed and placed around the space just for her. "I was shocked!" Alexis says. And after she said yes, there was no grand reception or formal dinner waiting for them. Just a bottle of champagne and the streets of New York City. Honestly, that tells you everything you need to know about these two.

About Your Wedding

Planning a wedding across the Atlantic in just one year is no small feat — but for a couple whose vision was as clear as their love for each other, every decision felt intentional rather than rushed. The result was an intimate, 50-guest celebration at the stunning Island Gallery in Vouliagmeni, on the Athens Riviera — a venue that perfectly mirrored their dream: "Intimate, romantic, and deeply personal."

But perhaps the most extraordinary detail of all was how they chose their wedding date. "We used numerology to choose our wedding date, which corresponded to the Lovers card in the tarot," Alexis shares. From there, every element of the wedding flowed from that same spiritual thread — from the custom watercolor stationery to the handwritten notes placed at each guest's seat. "Everything was a reflection of us. We wanted to stay true to that the entire time, both leading up to the day and on the day itself."

Alexis works in eCommerce, helping brands refine their digital presence and marketing, while both she and Matthew share an enduring love for travel and art — passions that permeated every corner of their wedding aesthetic.

Bride Getting Ready

We are always moved by the stories brides carry to their dressing room, but Alexis's journey to finding her gown was nothing short of an adventure in itself.

The dress was designed by Tom Sebastien — a designer whose work Alexis had set her heart on long before she had ever tried it on. The only problem? Not a single boutique in the country had it in stock. "I knew exactly what I was looking for, but had to chase it all over America because not a single shop had it," she says. "I found it during a trunk show in Dallas, Texas — funny enough, I was on a work trip to Los Angeles and flew to Dallas to get the dress before flying home." The dedication was worth every mile.

Getting ready took place at the extraordinary One&Only Aesthesis hotel in Athens — a location as dreamy and refined as the morning it held. Her look was completed with a veil that stopped everyone in the room. "My absolutely gorgeous veil! It made me feel like a Greek goddess and totally made the look," Alexis beams.

Her bouquet was designed by florist Jim Labrako, and the brief Alexis gave him was as joyful as the day itself. "The inspiration behind my flowers was romance and whimsy — I wanted them to feel playful because I knew I would be happy and playful on my wedding day. Nothing too tight or serious." Jim delivered exactly that — a bouquet that felt alive, light, and full of feeling.

Groom Getting Ready

While Alexis was chasing her dress across state lines, Matthew was investing in something equally considered: a custom white silk tuxedo, crafted by the celebrated Thom Sweeney in New York City.

This was no off-the-rack affair. Matthew attended approximately five fittings to ensure every measurement was perfect — a level of dedication that speaks volumes about the care both he and Alexis poured into every detail of their wedding. The resulting tuxedo was elegant, distinctive, and entirely him: a white silk masterpiece built precisely to his frame.

First Look

There are moments in a wedding day that belong entirely to two people — suspended, private, and searingly honest. The first look at One&Only Aesthesis was one of those moments.

When Matthew saw Alexis for the first time, his reaction was immediate and unfiltered. "He said, 'Wow — you look stunning!'" Alexis recalls. "He loved my hair." For Alexis, looking back at the man she was about to marry, the feeling was equally overwhelming. "I thought it was the most handsome he had ever looked," she says softly.

In that suspended moment on the terrace of one of Athens's most beautiful hotels, it was just the two of them — the rest of the world falling away, the ceremony still ahead, the love already complete.

Photoshoot Before The Ceremony

We chose to photograph Alexis and Matthew at One&Only Aesthesis before the ceremony for a reason that felt entirely fitting — it embodied the spirit they had carried through every decision leading up to this day. "We knew we wanted to get ready at One&Only resorts because it felt special and intimate — which was exactly what we were looking for," Alexis explains.

Against the backdrop of the Athenian Riviera, with the morning light catching the silk of Matthew's tuxedo and the sweep of Alexis's veil, these images carry a stillness that only the hours before a wedding can hold.

Ceremony

The ceremony took place outside the chapel at Island Gallery — and from the very first notes of the processional, there was not a dry eye in sight.

Alexis walked down the aisle to You Are My Sunshine — a choice as warm and luminous as the day itself. And in a deeply moving tribute to family and heritage, her brother stepped into the role of koumbaro, a cherished position in the Greek Orthodox tradition. "My brother was our koumbaro, which was a very special moment for my parents," Alexis shares — a moment that honoured both sides of who they are.

For a couple who had woven Greek and American traditions throughout their wedding from the very first planning conversation, the ceremony was the perfect embodiment of that union: two cultures, one love story, one yes.

Photoshoot After The Ceremony

Wedding Venue & Decor

The Island Gallery in Vouliagmeni is one of those venues that does not need to try very hard — it simply is. Perched on the Athens Riviera with the Aegean shimmering in every direction, it is the kind of place that makes intimate weddings feel like the most expansive celebrations in the world.

Alexis and Matthew's colour palette was a study in quiet sophistication: "It was simple — black and white with hints of green from the stems of the florals," Alexis describes. The restraint of the palette allowed the personal details — the tarot-inspired stationery, the handwritten notes at each place setting, the custom watercolor designs — to do the emotional heavy lifting.
"Everything from the custom designed watercolor stationery to the handwritten notes at each guest's place setting was deeply personal and a reflection of us," Alexis reflects. And in a room filled with fifty of the people they love most, that reflection was unmistakable.

Reception

If there is one image we keep returning to from Alexis and Matthew's reception, it is this one: "Sitting at the sweetheart table during dinner, watching everyone we love together having the absolute best time of their lives — that is the moment I will always remember," Alexis says.

Their first dance was to Fade Into You by Mazzy Star — a song so perfectly chosen it felt like it had been written for exactly this evening. The reception table featured an abundance of champagne and lobster — indulgent, celebratory, and entirely right for a couple who know how to savour the good things in life.

But the true highlight of the evening? The merging of worlds. Alexis and Matthew had woven Greek and American wedding traditions together throughout the day, and the reception brought it all to a joyful crescendo. Traditional Greek dancers performed a short set before the floor opened up and every guest joined in for the Zorba. "We also did a Greek money dance, which our American guests thought was so fun!" Alexis laughs — and we imagine it was the kind of moment that made everyone feel like they were part of something bigger than a wedding, something more like a family.